List of every change to DOWNLOADS app since 4.0

[SJ77]

By IPS own admission, using the release documentation, I have documented and aggregated every single change to the downloads app since the launch of 4.0 in April of 2015

• 4.0.6.1 Fix - Top Downloads incorrect data shown
• 4.0.9.2 Widget - New widgets for blog entry, gallery images and downloads files feeds.
• 4.1.0.0 Improvement - Added date uploaded to Downloads version dropdown
• 4.1.5.0 Fix - PHP error when submitting a new file in Downloads
• 4.1.10  Improvement - You can now sort by most downloaded in Downloads app.
• 4.1.12  Improvement - Better indication of files pending approval in Downloads.
• 4.1.13  Widget - The sidebar widget for showing Downloads files can now show just free or paid files.
• 4.1.18  Improvement - Files purchased in Downloads will now have a link back to the file from their purchase page in the Manage Purchases section
• 4.3.5.0 Fix - Fixed possible duplicate notifications for Downloads files.
• 4.3.6.0 Fix - Fixed screenshots that have been imported from a URL missing from embeds.

And that's it.. that is everything.

Of all the talk, and the big ideas and all the requests,.. in almost 4 years we have a few minor tweaks and nothing more.

It is my opinion that Downloads has been neglected and hopefully the above helps to illustrate this point.

Dear IPS, some of us have been waiting a long time for Downloads to bubble up the priority chain.

I am politely asking, please make this happen soon.

Thank you 🙂

 

[MMXII]

I completely agree with you. Hopefully the Downloads App will get some more attention. I have seen so many great suggestions in the feedback forum. Unfortunately that has not helped too much so far.

Is it due a low popularity of the Downloads App?
Is the demand for other features that much higher?
Do you guys not have phones use the Downloads App!?

[Aiwa]

To be fair to IPS, they weren't very thorough in their change logs for a fair portion of that update range. Something they've been greatly improving as of late.

[Joel R]

1 hour ago, Aiwa said:

To be fair to IPS, they weren't very thorough in their change logs for a fair portion of that update range. Something they've been greatly improving as of late.

But that's because those were mostly bug fixes.  

It's not like they made amazing front-end enhancements to the Downloads app and didn't tell us.  They just literally didn't develop a lot.  

[Aiwa]

2 hours ago, Joel R said:

But that's because those were mostly bug fixes.

You can't say IPS made no changes to Downloads, not even bug fixes, through the entire 4.2  series. Because there are ZERO entries in the OP for 4.2 - 4.3. My point stands. 

Don't confuse my defense of IPS here in that Downloads is perfect. Sure it could use some love, but the OP is painting a very unfair picture. 

If you've got all the source, do a git compare between 4.0.0 and 4.3.6. Statements based on the code changes would be fair, though more difficult to quantify as discrete changes. 

[Adriano Faria]

I remember two new features from the top of my head:

• New settings to select categories and number of files for index portal 
• Disable purchases 

May have more. I remember those two now. 

[Joel R]

6 hours ago, Aiwa said:

You can't say IPS made no changes to Downloads, not even bug fixes, through the entire 4.2  series. Because there are ZERO entries in the OP for 4.2 - 4.3. My point stands. 

And you're quibbling over a frankly trivial point that misses the broader request.    The OP's original intention isn't that there are zero entries for every single version, it's that the app hasnt seen substantive design improvements or new features.  

Bug fixes are to be expected, even if they're not listed out in detail.  You don't win brownie points from clients for fixing your code that was broken to begin with.  

[Aiwa]

1 hour ago, Joel R said:

you're quibbling over a frankly trivial point that misses the broader request.

I am not quibbling over the broader request. I'm addressing an unfair statement. My post clarifies as much. 

On 12/17/2018 at 4:54 PM, SJ77 said:

And that's it.. that is everything.

This statement in the OP is unfair for exactly the reasons I stated. IPS change logs were so generic for the large portion of that time range that they didn't include specifics for new features or bug fixes. So how's one to know if IPS didn't publish anything? It's like looking at the negative space, static, and calling the absence of information fact. 

8 hours ago, Aiwa said:

Don't confuse my defense of IPS here in that Downloads is perfect. Sure it could use some love, but the OP is painting a very unfair picture.

 

[SJ77]

9 hours ago, Aiwa said:

Don't confuse my defense of IPS here in that Downloads is perfect. Sure it could use some love, but the OP is painting a very unfair picture.

I will argue that it is fair. Hear me out; It's not about capturing an unabridged list of changes. It IS about relative consistency. 

What I mean is, if I did the SAME exact exercise (as in the first post) with ANY of the other apps I would have a vastly bigger list.

2 hours ago, Joel R said:

The OP's original intention isn't that there are zero entries for every single version, it's that the app hasnt seen substantive design improvements or new features. 

THIS

[SJ77]

Downloads should just be rolled into commerce. It should come as part of the core commerce functionality.  It's really all 1 and the same.

This would create consistency with things like promotions, coupons and the shopping cart.

[Tom S.]

2 hours ago, SJ77 said:

Downloads should just be rolled into commerce.

Agreed. The only way I used downloads is by associating it with a store product. Would make life easier if the two were better connected I think.

[SJ77]

Seems a few folks are interested in this ask but still unsure if IPS feels compelled in this direction or not. Downloads has so much potential.

[Stephen Bruce]

I’ve just come back to using Invision after around a 3 year break. It’s disappointing that the limitations I was struggling with years ago are still exactly the same today. The Downloads app has so much potential but there’s some changes that would make a huge difference and open up a lot more possibilities. I would really like to see:

- Shopping Cart to buy more than one product at a time.

- Ability to choose more than one author for the file and commission to be split between the authors.

- More commission settings like different commission rates for different member groups. 

- An easy way to remove the version number for files that are a finished product and will never be updated

[SJ77]

3 minutes ago, Stephen Bruce said:

- An easy way to remove the version number for files that are a finished product and will never be updated

The version nonsense drives me NUTS.. I don't sell software! (Same thing for renewals)
 

If someone would write a plugin called.

Eliminate VERSION numbers and RENEWALS from downloads app
This plugin totally removes the settings and views for version numbers and renewals for the downloads app. This effects both screens on file upload and customer facing screens.

That simple plugin alone would be a GOD SEND!!!!

Sadly .. nope haven't seen it  😞

[Stephen Bruce]

9 minutes ago, SJ77 said:

The version nonsense drives me NUTS.. I don't sell software! (Same thing for renewals)
 

If someone would write a plugin called.

Eliminate VERSION numbers and RENEWALS from downloads app
This plugin totally removes the settings and views for version numbers and renewals for the downloads app. This effects both screens on file upload and customer facing screens.

That simple plugin alone would be a GOD SEND!!!!

Sadly .. nope haven't seen it  😞

I think someone is going to remove the version numbers for me in the next few days hopefully. It would be a lot better if there was a simple setting to just turn that part off though so I didn’t have to hire someone.

[SJ77]

1 minute ago, Stephen Bruce said:

I think someone is going to remove the version numbers for me in the next few days hopefully. It would be a lot better if there was a simple setting to just turn that part off though so I didn’t have to hire someone.

You're winning!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Will you help me if you figure this out?